Oil-gage.



W. C. KNIGHT OIL GAGE.

APPLICATION HLED NOV. 10, 19:4.

1 1 97,580. Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

' Fig. 1.

Witnesses. v Inventor. 7/ZM7/L/ZZZL William G. Knighl b vwawmw larlyWILLIAM C. KNIGHT, OF HIGHLAND PARK, MICHIGAN.

OIL-GAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

Application filed November 10, 1914. Serial No. 871,392.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. Kmorrr, a citizen of the United States,residing at Highland Park, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, haveinvented an Improvement in Oil-Gages, tion, in connection with theaccompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawingrepresenting like parts.

This invention relates to oil gages such asare used to indicate whetherthe oil is flowing properly in the oiling system of an automobile orother machine, and particuto an oil gage of that type in which theindication is made by means of a pointer moving over a dial.

The object of the invention is to provide a novel gage which is verysimple in its construction and consequently inexpensive to manufacture,and which will accurately give the indication desired.

My improved gage comprises a casing having rotatably mounted therein anindicating pointer which operates over a dial, and means actuated by thepressure of the oil flowing through the system to determine the positionof this'indicator. The means herein illustrated for this purpose andwhich I consider to be practical includes a cylinder connected to thepiping of the oiling system, a plunger in said cylinder which issubjected to the pressure in the oiling system, and,

means whereby movement of the plunger will move the pointer.

In order to give an understanding of my invention I have illustrated aselected embodiment thereof in the drawings which will now be described,after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appendedclaims.

Figure 1 is a front view of a gage embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is asection on the liner-w, Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a section on the line y -y,Fig. 2.

The gage comprises a casing 1 having mounted therein an indicatingpointer 4:0 which is herein illustrated as situated with- .in a chamber1 having a transparent side so that the indicator is visible. This maybe conveniently provided for by closing the side of-the chamber 4 with aglass plate 6 which is secured to the casing l-by a bezel 7 The casinghas associated therewith a cylinder 13 in which operates apressurecontrolled actuator in the form of a plunger 12, said plungerhaving a stem 11 which of which the following descrip-- formed at 17 toconstitute a extends through an opening 16 in the end of the cylinderand by which the indicator 10 is operated. So long as there is pressure1n the pipe 14: the plunger 12 will be raised, but when there is nopressure in the oiling system the plunger 12 will occupy the full l1neposition Fig. 2. Any suitable means Wlll be employed for transmittingmotion from the plunger 12 and stem 11 to the pointer 40. In theconstruction herein shown I interpose a magnet between these parts, themagnet being arranged to be operated by the movement of the stem 11 and1n turn magnetically controlling the pointer 40. This particularconstruction is not essential, however, as any suitable connection ordevice for transmitting motion from the stem 11 to the pointer might beemployed. The magnet is shown at 8 and it is in the form of a bar magnetwhich is mounted on a pivotal shaft 9 that is journaled in the end 5 ofthe casing and in a partition 2 extending across the casing and whichdivides the latter into the two chambers 4 and 3, one for receiving thepointer 40 and the other for receiving the magnet. The end 5 is shown asscrew-threaded to the casing so that it can be removed. The shaft 9 ormagnet 8 has an arm 10 extending therefrom which is adapted to beengaged. by the stem 11, said arm preferably being counterweighted', asshown at 20, so that when the plunger is in its lowered position thecounterweight will swing the magnet into the full line position'Fig. 2.As stated above, the cylinder 13 is connected to the piping 14 of-theoiling system, and said cylinder is formed at its upper end interiorlywith a valve seat 15. The plunger portion of the actuator 12 is againstthe valve seat 16 when the plunger is raised.

$70 valve to fit The downward movement of the plunger is limited by anysuitable stop, such as the plug 18 screw-threaded into the cylinder.When there is no oil flowing and no pressure in the oiling system, theplunger 12 will drop by gravity against the stop 18, thus withdrawing.the stem 11 from the arm 10. The counterweight 20 on this arm issufficient so that when the stem 11 is withdrawn it will turn the magnetinto the full line position Fig. 1. pressure on the oiling system, thepressure against the plunger will ra1se the latter against the valveseat 15 thereby causing the When, however, there is stem 11 to act onthe arm 10 and-turnthe magnet into the dotted line position Fig. 2, themovement of the magnet in this position being preferably limited by thestop 19.

When the plunger is raised the engagement of the valve portion 17 withthe valve seat 15 will prevent the passage of any oil from the piping 14into the -ma-gnet-receivingchamber 3, and so long as the oil is flowingsuitable legends-placed thereon, such as the letters F and '8(indicating the words How and stop at the positions which the indicator40 wiil'assume when-the plunger is raised andlowered,=respectively, and,there- --fore, by simplyreading the pointer it is possibleto learnwhether or not the oil-is flowing'properly.

The casing-lean be; placed in any suitable location on the automobile,such, for instance, as on the cowl-board, instrumentboard, orany'otherplace, and the cylinder 13 willbe -connected to'the oilingsystem-by the piping 14. Thedevice is very inexpensivetomanutacture.'It-will indicate accurately'whether the-oil is flowing or not-and theconstruetionis such that no oil can. leak therefrom.

Iclaim:

1. In --an'- oil flow gage, the combination with a casing having -a'magnetmeceiving ehamben of a magnet rotatably mounted in said chamber,a cylinder member connected with the piping of the oiling system, aplunger operating in said cylinder and exposed to the pressure in theoiling system, a stem extending from said plunger and projecting throughthe end of the cylinder, a curved arm rigid-with the magnet and looselyresting on the stem, and means. to indicate the position of the magnet.

2. In an oil flow gage, the combination with a casing, of an indicatorpivotally mounted in said casing, an indicator-controlling member alsopivotally mounted in said casing, a curved arm rigid with saidcontrolling member, a cylinder connected with the piping of the oilingsystem, a plunger operating in said cylinder and exposed to the pressurein said oiling system, and a stem extending from the plunger andprojecting through the end of the cylinder, said stem' loosely engagingsaid curved arm. I

3. In an oil flo-w indicator, the combinationwith a casing having a magnet-receiving chamber, of -a magnet rotatably mounted in saidchamber, acylinder member having a

